SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:21
Y la mano del Seor era con ellos; y creyendo, gran nmero se convirti al Seor.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 11:21
Verse 21. The hand of the Lord was with them] By the hand, arm, and, finger of God, in the Scripture, different displays or exertions of his power are intended. Here it means that the energy of God accompanied them, and applied their preaching to the souls of all attentive hearers. Without this accompanying influence, even an apostle could do no good; and can inferior men hope to be able to convince and convert sinners without this? Ministers of the word of God, so called, who dispute the necessity and deny the being of this influence, show thereby that they are intruders into God's heritage; that they are not sent by him, and shall not profit the people at all. A great number believed] That Jesus was the Christ; and that he had died for their offenses, and risen again for their justification. Because the apostles preached the truth, and the hand of God was with them, therefore, a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord, becoming his disciples, and taking him for their portion.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them , etc.] Not only his hand of providence, which brought them thither, and protected them; and his hand of love, grace and mercy, which was upon them, and supplied them with gifts and grace, and everything necessary for them; and his hand of wisdom, which guided and directed them; but his hand of power, the same with the arm of the Lord, which when revealed, and made bare, the report of the Gospel is believed: but if that is not put forth, or efficacious grace is not exerted, no work is done, none are brought to believe, or are converted; ministers labour in vain, and spend their strength for nought: but this was not the case here, it was otherwise with these preachers; though they had travelled many miles, and were come into strange places, they were not left of God, nor without success, the power of God attended their ministry; so that the Gospel preached by them came not in word only, but in power, and it was the power of God unto salvation: hence it follows, and a great number believed ; not the Gospel only, but in Christ preached in it, ( Acts 11:20) which was not owing to the force of moral persuasion in the ministers, nor to the power of free will in the people, but to the hand or power of the Lord; for the work of faith is not a work of mans will, but of Gods almighty power and grace; and when that is displayed, multitudes believe in Christ for righteousness and life: and turned to the Lord; and obeyed his commands; (see <19B959> Psalm 119:59,60) as a fruit, effect, and consequence of believing in Christ; for not first conversion is here intended, which is not mans work, but Gods, and in which God is the agent, and man is passive; but obedience to the ordinances of Christ, as the fruit of faith, is meant.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-24 - The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, wa made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and his crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching wa accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them to bring that home to the hearts and consciences of men, which the could but speak to the outward ear. They believed; they were convince of the truth of the gospel. They turned from a careless, carnal way of living, to live a holy, heavenly, spiritual life. They turned from worshipping God in show and ceremony, to worship him in the Spirit an in truth. They turned to the Lord Jesus, and he became all in all with them. This was the work of conversion wrought upon them, and it must be wrought upon every one of us. It was the fruit of their faith; all wh sincerely believe, will turn to the Lord, When the Lord Jesus i preached in simplicity, and according to the Scriptures, he will giv success; and when sinners are thus brought to the Lord, really goo men, who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, will admire an rejoice in the grace of God bestowed on them. Barnabas was full of faith; full of the grace of faith, and full of the fruits of the fait that works by love.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S χειρ 5495 N-NSF κυριου 2962 N-GSM μετ 3326 PREP αυτων 846 P-GPM πολυς 4183 A-NSM τε 5037 PRT αριθμος 706 N-NSM πιστευσας 4100 5660 V-AAP-NSM επεστρεψεν 1994 5656 V-AAI-3S επι 1909 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM κυριον 2962 N-ASM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:21 {The hand of the Lord was with them} (en ceir kuriou met' autwn). this O.T. phrase (#Ex 9:3; Isa 59:1) is used by Luke (#Lu 1:66; Ac 4:28,30; 13:11). It was proof of God's approval of their course in preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks. {Turned unto the Lord} (epestreyen epi ton kurion). First aorist active indicative of epistrefw, common verb to turn. The usual expression for Gentiles turning to the true God (#14:15; 15:3,19; 26:18,20; 1Th 1:9). Here "Lord" refers to "the Lord Jesus" as in verse #20, though "the hand of the Lord" is the hand of Jehovah, clearly showing that the early disciples put Jesus on a par with Jehovah. His deity was not a late development read back into the early history.
